What drives us?

It's unfortunately all too common that people rarely think about what is setting the direction of their lives. We tend to spend more time thinking about what we are going to do later in the day or week then we spend thinking about the direction and course of our life. However, there are some thoughtful people who do spend time thinking those deeper thoughts, and if you were to ask them what it was that influenced their decision on the direction of their life...odds are the answer would fall into one of 3 categories.

The first category is essentially that of ideas or knowledge. Some people believe that they set the direction of their life based upon their knowledge of the world around them. They will emphasize education, data, and use the argument that before any decision is made, careful research is undertaken to help guide their decision. The impact of emotion or belief is minimized and the rational is placed at the forefront.

The second category that people feel guide their decisions in life is their beliefs. This is where the goal of establishing a true view of the world (worldview) is important. Beliefs are different than ideas in my definition because ideas are purely rational while beliefs have a component of emotional attachment to the ideas. Those who argue this position believe that decisions regarding the direction of one's life are made based upon their strongly held beliefs regarding their view of the world.

The third category is one of desire. Those who argue this position believe that we are led in our lives first and foremost by our desires. It is certainly true that desires are influenced by rational thought and also by beliefs regarding the world. But in the end, the main factor that sets the direction of our lives is in fact the desires of our heart. We are first and foremost emotional creatures, not essentially rational ones. As time passes in my own life, I have come to realize that the category that has most influenced me is this third category of desire.

Blaise Pascal wrote in his Pensee's the following: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.” 

I believe we are all driven from birth to fill this God shaped vacuum in our hearts. We have no choice...the vacuum is built into us and we each seek to fill it in many different ways. 

Wisdom is found in recognizing and discerning how this God shaped hole is affecting our decisions about tomorrow and the rest of our lives. 

Solitude

This morning I read the well known story of Elijah taking on the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. We all know the story...Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a sacrificial duel. They each sacrifice a bull on an altar, and the God who consumes the sacrifice with fire is the true God. Of course Elijah wins since the LORD is the true God and he defeats the prophets of Baal.

When most of us think of Elijah, we think of that story. But if you go to the beginning of the 17th chapter of 1 Kings where the story begins, you learn something interesting. God first called Elijah to tell Ahab, the King of Israel, that there would not be any rain for 3 years. After passing the message on, Elijah goes and lives in hiding way out in the middle of nowhere. He's there by himself for months! What does he do? No Internet, no people, no movies, no books, no Bible...he's there by himself with nothing to do. He doesn't even have to go find food. God has the ravens do that for him.

It's hard for me to imagine spending months in the wilderness like that...absolutely nothing to do but talk to God and think. I mean, I like my solitude, but that's a whole different level! No human interaction for months? I wonder how many of us could do that? Elijah probably thought he was going to be there for 3 YEARS! As it turned out, the brook he was drinking out of dried up, so God moved him into a city to live with a widow. Perhaps God saw something in Elijah that showed he needed to have human interaction.

What strikes me is that while we often think of Elijah as this amazingly powerful prophet, he spent most of his time in what appears to be relative inactivity...and much of it in solitude.

Henri Nouwen writes in The Way of the Heart that there are three keys to strengthening our spiritual life. They are solitude, silence, and prayer. No doubt Elijah practiced all of them...extensively. Perhaps that was why he was chosen by God to offer the sacrifice that was consumed by heavenly fire.

Something to think about...